Dredging apparatus.



Patented lune |21, |900.l

(Application led Apr. 12,1 19,00.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

& G. W. 'ESTERLY.

DREDGING `APPARATUS.

(Application filed Apr. 12, 1900.)

Patented lune l2, |900.

i' NITED STATES lPATENT Fries.;

GEORGE MAX isTERLiT AND GEORGE w. EsTERLY, OE WASHINGTON, DISTRICT or OOLUMBIAI DRI-:neme APPARATUS.

SPECIE'I'CATION forming mit of Letters Patent No. 651,781,- aatea :runs 12, ieoo.

Appiicaiion nea Api-ii 1211900.

.To all whom t may concern.-

Beit known that we, GEORGE MAxEsTERLY and GEORGE W. ESTERLY,. citizens of the` United States, residing at Vashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Dredging Apparatus, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The object of our invention is to provide apparatus by means of which sand or other soil lying so near shore or in so shoal water as to be inaccessible to the ordinary floating dredge may be reached and dredged out and the apparatus which we have invented is particularly adapted and intended for the recovery of precious-metal-bearing sands lying near shore. but below low-water mark.

Our invention consists in hydraulic dredging apparatus, consisting of a suction-pump and suction-pipe connected with the pump carried by a vehicle adapted to be moved and to be held in a stationary position on the ground or on piles, trestle-work, or other iirm base, the suction-pipe being adapted to extend out into the water and vto be raised and lowered and swung in any direction, the vehicle carrying valso a suitable source of power by which the suction-pump may be operated, the movements of the suction-pipe effected, and the vehicle propelled, all as hereinafter described and shown in the accompanying drawings.

It is well known that the danger involved in anchoring a dredge or other vessel in the open sea in shoal water near a sandy beach is such as preclude the possibility of the use of floating dredges under such circumstances. Precions-metal-bearing ores of great richness have in some instances been found beneath the surface of the open sea, so located that by reason of the Shoal-ness of the water and the strength of the tidal currents and surf, particularly during storms, they cannot be recovered' by the use of floating dredges; nor can such sands be recovered to a practical extent by the use of the excavators of the bucket or scoop type mounted 011 vehicles adapted to travel upon the land, by reason of the fact that such excavators are not Serial No. 12,579. (No model.)

adapted to extend out over the water lnore than a comparatively-short distance, by reason of the fact that in order to be effective in operation they must lift a very heavy mass at each operation.

Our apparatus being mounted on a vehicle adapted to rest and travel upon a solid foundation is not liable to injury from tidal currents or surf and may be operated without interruption even during storms, it being possible at any time, should the surf or currents become dangerously high, torun the vehicle back out of danger. Further, the material raised by our dredging apparatus is .distributed throughout the length of the suctionpipe instead, as in a bucket or scoop excavator, of being carried wholly at the end of the arm or boom. By reason of this fact and the further fact that the suction-pipe of our apparatus is provided at its end with a down- Wardly-extending section adapted to rest to a greater or less extent upon the sand beneath the water, and thus afford more or less support to the suction-pipe we are enabled to use a suction-pipe many times longer than could be used with an excavator of anything like the same size.

Our invention also consists in the specific `constructions and combinations hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a view in elevation of our dredging apparatus. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the saine, the devices for raising and lowering the boom being removed.

In the construction shown in the drawings, A is the vehicle, adapted to be moved on or held stationary on the ground or on piles, trestle-work, or other iirrn base. As shown, the wheels are adapted to run on a track; but it is evidentlthat if the ground or other base 4is su fticiently firm the track may be dispensed with and wheels having broad tires may be substituted for the track wheels shown. The framework of the vehicle A supports a turn-table C, on which the platform is adapted to rotate. This platform carries the operating devices of the apparatus, consisting of the suction-pump E, the suction- IOO pipe F, and the motive power for operating Y the pump and for eecting through suitableheilig raised and lowered by the mechanismA hereinafter described, but is not arranged to swing on theplatform.

The suction-pipe F has at its outer end'a swinging section F', which carries at its lower end a suction-head F", adapted to enter the sand or other soil to bedredged. This swing ing section will to some extent be supported by the sand or other soil and will thus more or less sustain the outer end'of thesuctionpipe. A winch I and ropes or chains l' are provided, as shown, forswinging this section ofthe suction-pipe. This winch is arranged to be operated by a workman standing near the peak of the boom, the boom being provided with a platform J, on which such workman may stand, and with a footboard J', by which access to the platform may be readily gained. n The suction-pipe is provided at the inner end of the boom with a swivel-joint L or other flexible joint, which will permit of the raising or lowering of the portion of the suction-pipe carried by the boom.

The suction-pump E,which in the construction shown is a centrifugal pump of ordinary construction, discharges the salida-ud water into sluice-boxes, (uot shown,) which may be carried by the vehicle, by other vehiclesk on the same track, or may be arranged on the ground in any convenient manner.

The boom G, carrying the suction-pipe F, isA raisedand lowered by any convenient means and when operated effects a rotation of Athe platform to any extent desired. The gear o' meshes with a bevel-gear on the Vertical shaft S, carried by the vehicle-frame at the center rotation of the platform and operatively connected through suitable gearing with theaxles of the vehicle.

, It willbe understood that the boiler and engine, the fuel-box U, and the water-tank V are so arranged on the platform as to counterbalance the weight of the boom and suction-pipe. A l Y the shore as convenient, the apparatus is placed on them and through the engine P and gearing o' and S the vehicle is propelled tov the point desired. The platform is then rotated by means of the engine P and gearing o and R and the boom lowered until the end of the suction-pipe is brought into effective Contact with the sand. The pump is then started. By operating the swinging section {o-f the-suctionpipe and by raising ojr lowering the boom and rotating the platform the sand may be dredged from a large area, and by ad vancing the vehicle along the track the area which can beV effectively dredged is still further increased.

If found necessary, a'mechanical stirrer may be used on the outer end of the suctionp'ipe for loosening up the sand. By making -thesuction-pipe F suiiicientlyY strong it is evident that the boom Gemay be dispensed` with and thesuction-pipe in such case braced and supported by the ropes o r chains N', acting both'a's suction-pipe and boo-m. j

We are aware that devices for handling coal ore and the like, consisting of an arm carrying a bucket or scoop mounted on a 'rotatable platform carried by a vehicle, the platformY carrying also'a motor and means operated thereby by which the bucket or scoop may be operated, the platform rotated, and vthe vehicle propelled, are well known;- but such deviceswould notbecapable of effective use for the purposes for which our device Vis intended, as has been above explained, Aand we do not claim such devices.' "Wea-re Valso aware that it has been proposed to place -upon a float or boatI a suction-pipe and suctionpump and means-for raising'and lowering the' suction-pipe and"for operating the suctionto travel, arranged on solid foundation along fthe shore ef a body of .wa-ter, of a platform carried by the vehicle andV adapted'to be rotated thereon, a suction-pumpA mounted on the platform, a suction-pipe having anA fend section thereof adapted to extend downward f'at anangle to the main portion of-thepipe, connected with the suction-pump andcarried by the platform' and projecting Vtherefrom,

and means mounted on the platform for rotating the platform, and forpropell-ing the vehicle, whereby the dredging operation may be carried on in strong-currents or surf; substantially ass-describe j f f V2. The combination with a vehicle, of a platform carried thereby, and adaptedto be rotated thereon, a suction-pumpV carried by v the platform, avertically-swinging-boomcar- In operation, the tracks being laid as nearf ried by the platform, a suction-pipe having an end section thereof adapted to extend downward at an angle to the main portion of the pipe and adapted to be swung, carried byl IOO pump but such a device is Ynot capable of IIO the boom and connected with the suctionpump, and means carried by the platform for swinging the boom, operating the suctionpump, rotating the platform, and independent means for operating the swinging section of the pipe; substantially as described.

3. The combination with a vehicle, of a platform carried thereby and adapted to be rotated thereon, hydraulic dredging apparatus carried by the platform comprising a suction-pipe having an end section adapted to extend downward atan angle to the main portion of the pipe and adapted to be swung, a motor carried by the platform, and mechanism by which the motor operates the dredging apparatus, effects the rotation of the platform, and propels the vehicle, and independent means for swinging the end section of the suction-pipe; substantially as described.

4. The combination with a vehicle, of' a platform carried thereby and adapted to be rotated thereon, hydraulic dredging apparatus carried by the platform, a motor carried by the platform arranged to operate the dredging apparatus, a horizontal shaft driven by the motor, a vertical shaft carried by the vehicle-frame, at the center of rotation of the platform and operatively connected with an axle of the vehicle, a gear on the horizontal shaft in mesh witha gear on the vertical shaft, and a second gear on the horizontal shaft, in mesh with a horizontal rack on the vehicleframe, whereby the motor carried by the plat form effects the rotation of the platform and propels the vehicle as well as operates the dredging apparatus.

5. The combination with a vehicle, of a vertically and horizontally swinging boom, carried vthereby;a footboard extending along the boom to near its peak, a suction-pu mp carried by the vehicle, a suction-pipe carried by the boom, and connected with the suction-pump, and provided near the peak of the boom with an oscillating section, and means arranged near the peak of the boom for swinging said section, and means carried by the vehicle for swinging the boom and for operating the suction-pump; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE MAX ESTERLY. GEO. ESTERLY.

Witnesses:

GRAFTON L. MCGILL, A. P. GREELEY. 

